Multidistrict litigation is a legal procedure in United States federal courts in which lawsuits involving similar issues (common issues of fact) are consolidated in one court (called the MDL court) for the purpose of convenience and efficiency in pretrial matters, such as discovery. These lawsuits are generally returned to their original federal district courts for trial. Claims that are often the subject of multidistrict litigation are product liability claims against pharmaceutical companies, securities fraud cases, and airplane crashes.
Multidistrict litigation (MDL) is a federal legal procedure that consolidates multiple lawsuits that share common factual issues to improve efficiency and convenience during pretrial proceedings. This process is governed by federal law, specifically 28 U.S.C. § 1407. While the state of Idaho does not have its own MDL statute, Idaho federal district courts can transfer cases to an MDL court or receive cases from an MDL for trial. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) decides whether cases should be consolidated under MDL and which district court will oversee the pretrial proceedings. After the pretrial phase, cases are typically remanded back to their original courts for trial. MDLs are commonly used for complex cases such as product liability, including pharmaceutical claims, securities fraud, and major accidents like airplane crashes.